Crumb-continuous cookies having a unique storage-stable texture dichotomy, that is crispy on the outside with a chewy interior, have been made by manipulation of sugar crystallization in different parts of the cookie. By making cookies from a plurality of doughs, one containing a crystallization-resistant sugar, and another a conventional readily crystallizable sugar, in such a manner that the two doughs remain segregated in discrete regions within the unbaked cookie, a matrix is formed which can be baked into a cookie having portions which provide a crisp texture and portions which provide a chewy texture. This type of cookie is described in European patent application 31718 of Hong and Brabbs, filed Dec. 23, 1980, and published July 8, 1981, which is herein incorporated by reference. These cookies are manufactured by laminating two or more different doughs employing a variety of lamination techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,969 of Youngquist et al., issued Aug. 17, 1982, describes a process for preparing cookies having storage-chewable chewy and crisp textures from a single dough wherein sugar crystallization is controlled by enzyme activity. Manipulation of water activity is one means used for activating and inactivating enzymes in selected portions of the cookie. Thus, sugars and/or starches in the areas where the enzyme is active are converted into mixtures which are noncrystallizing or crystallization-resistant, while the crystallization behavior of sucrose is preserved in those areas where the enzyme is inactive. The resulting dough and subsequent crumb areas of the baked cookie have storage-stable chewy and crisp textures, respectively.
It is known that cookie staling is a sugar crystallization process. For conventional single-texture cookies, the initial crispness just after baking is due to the dry outer surface. During the subsequent 24 hours, the sugar begins to crystallize spontaneously, and water migrates from the interior, where the water activity is relatively high, to the moisture-depleted outer surface. As the sugar crystallizes over time, the cookie becomes harder. Unlike bread staling, these latter changes in a cookie cannot be reversed by heating, indicating that the starch in the cookie is not undergoing retrogradation.
For the dual-textured cookies, sugar crystallization is inhibited in discrete regions of the cookie through use of a crystallization-resistant sugar in those regions, or through use of enzymes. Thus, these cookies do not undergo the typical staling process. Instead, sugar crystallization is allowed to progress only in discrete regions. This allows for controlled localization of crisp regions and chewy regions. The sugar crystallization process in the dual-textured cookies equilibrates the two textures to a storage-stable state. The various regions retain their respective textures providing a highly desirable texture dichotomy.
This type of cookie made by manipulation of sugar crystallization will require tempering prior to reaching textural equilibrium, when the crystallizable sugar is in transition from the amorphous (glass) form to the crystalline form. During this period the outer crisp regions will soften slightly due to the moisture transfer from the interior to the surface, and then become crisp again. The chewy regions can become tough and then become chewy again. A tempering period of two months or more can be required before textural equilibrium is achieved. Thus in the manufacture of this type of dual-textured cookie, the quality of production cannot be certified until after the cookies are stored for the tempering period. This, of course, is uneconomical and inefficient. Clearly, reduction or elimination of this required tempering period for the cookies to reach textural equilibrium would be advantageous.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for accelerating texture equilibration in dual-textured crumb-continuous cookies wherein the textures are achieved by manipulation of sugar crystallization.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a process for increasing the rate of sugar crystallization in this type of cookie.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a process for accelerating texture equilibration of this type of cookie through surface rehydration.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for accelerating texture equilibration of this type of cookie through variations in sugar particle size.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for accelerating texture equilibration of this type of cookie through alterations in the ratio of sugar to flour.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a process for accelerating texture equilibration of this type of cookie through manipulation of the amounts of crystallization-resistant and readily crystallizable sugars.
These and other objects of the invention will be evident from the following disclosure. All percents are by weight unless otherwise indicated.